Lock protecting handle structure for hand luggage cases



H.l L. ONEIL Dec. 15, 1964 LOCK PROTECTING HANDLE STRUCTURE FOR HAND LUGGAGE CASES Filed Aug.

sill. Il!

www@ #M2M ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,161,2721 LCK PRTECTKNG HANDLE STRUCTURE FSR HAND UfGGAGiS. @ASES Harvey L. Neil, Lebanon, rllenn., assigner to Hartmann Luggage (Joinpany, Lebanon, Tenn., a corporation ot' Delaware Filed Ang. 5, 63, Ser. No. tltldli 7 Claims. (Cl. 19h-58) This invention relates to improvements in lock protecting handle structure for hand luggage cases.

Hand luggage cases such as are used by the traveling public for carrying garments and traveling paraphernalia customarily have locks or latches openly applied to external wall portions of the case to maintain the body and cover sections of the case in closed condition. inasmuch as the standard types of luggage locks are completely exposed and protrude from the outer surface of the ease wall on which they are mounted, they are susceptible of being manipulated or tampered with by an unauthorized person and are furthermore susceptible or" being struck or accidentally engaged to a degree which might cause the locks to open and permit separation of the luggage case sections.

With the foregoing in mind, it is a primary object ot the present invention to overcome the objections inherent in the mounting of standard luggage case locks or latches by providing extended straps for anchoring the ends of a carrying handle to an outer wall portion of a luggage case, which straps extend longitudinally or the wall oi the case containing the locks and cover and conceal tir locks or latches, the latter being relatively liush mounted, whereby the locks are protected against accidental manipulation and are furthermore concealed and access thereto is deterred.

A further object oi the invention is to provide, in a lock protecting handle structure for hand luggage cases, extended handle carrying straps, cach being secured to a Wall portion of a luggage case by a single rivet or securing member which jointly aliixes an end portion or each strap to a luggage case wall and forms the anchorage for an end portion of a carrying handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lock protecting handle structure for hand luggage cases wherein handle anchoring straps are extended over the luggage case locks and are continued at right angles downwardly onto the end walls of the case, being detachable therefrom and deilectable away from the luggage case locks to provide access thereto by an authorized person.

A further object of the invention is to provide a loci; protecting handle structure for hand luggage cases which results in a hand luggage case of distinctive and attractive appearance, which is simple in construction and ogeration, which is strong and durable and eliective, and which is well adapted for the purposes described.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists oi the improved lock protecting handle structure for hand luggage cases, and its parts and cornbinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. l is an end and side perspective view oi the improved hand luggage case equipped with the lock protecting handle structure, portions of the handle anchoring straps being broken away to show the case locks which underlie said straps;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary upper corner portion of a hand luggage case showing the application of the improved lock protecting handle structure to the top wall of the luggage case, and showing one of the handle anchoring straps disengaged from the adjacent end wall ice of the case and deiiected to uncover the luggage case lock which normally underlies the handle strap and is covered thereby; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail sectional view taken approximately along the line 3-3 of FIG. 1, only with the illustrated handle anchoring strap detached from the end wall of the case, the end portion of the strap as aliixed to the case end wall being shown in dotted lines.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will appear that, merely by way of illustration, the invention is incorporated in a hand luggage case which includes a body section 5 and cover section 6 connected along one marginal portion to an adjacent wall edge of the body section S by conventional hinge means (not shown). Each of the case sections 5 and 6 is live-sided so `that when the shallower cover section is opened relative to the body section the open sides of the sections 5 and 6 permit access to the interiors of said sections. The body section includes a top wall 7, a pair of opposite end walls 8, all of which are preferably rigid or reinforced, and a side or face Wall 9.

The numeral lil generally indicates a carrying handle applied to the top wall 7 of the body section 5 intermediate the sides and ends of the case. The handle is formed with its opposite ends looped or apertured as at lll, and each apertured end li of the handle 10 has looped therethrough the double-back inner end portion 12 of a handle end anchoring strap i3. As best shown in FIG. 3, a rivet or other securing member 1d extends through the inner end of each strap i3 and its doubled-back portion l2 and through the stock of the top wall 7 of the luggage case. Thus, the rivets 1li provide the sole means for anchoring the inner ends of the straps 13 and the looped ends of the handle lil to the top wall of the luggage case. Consequently, the limited strap and handle allixing means eliminates weakening of the case wall on which these members are mounted.

Aligned with the looped ends of the handle llt), which are aixed to the inner ends of the straps 13 and between the ends of the handle and the outer ends of the case Wall 7, there are locks or latches, generally designated by the numeral l5, mounted in a flush manner in the case wall 7. Said locks or latches 15 are of the type illustrated and described in United States Patent No. 2,956,827 to Humphries and aid in the attainment of the objectives of the present invention because the patented type of lock utilized is accommodated on a substantially flat surface of the luggage case and has its releasing mechanism disposed substantially llush with the surface of the case on wlu'ch it is mounted, as disclosed in said Patent No. 2,956,827. Each retaining strap 15, which is preferably formed of leather, composition, plastic or other flexible material, is elongated and extends from its engaged handle end rectilineally over the top wall 7 of the case to the adjacent end 8 and then downwardly over an upper intermediate portion of said end wall, as illustrated. The inner surface of the outer extremity of each strap 13 carries a male snap fastener element l adapted to releasably engage a female snap fastener member 17 mounted in each end wall S of the case in a position to register with the snap fastener element 16. When the snap fastener elements of the straps 13 are engaged, as shown in FIG. l, and in broken lines in FIG. 3, each strap 13 will be held tautly along the exterior of the top wall 7 of the case and downwardly onto the adjacent end Wall, and is held relatively flatly along the top Wall oi the case and thus completely covers, conceals and protects the lock l5 underlying the strap. When the depending end of a strap is pulled outwardly so as to disengage the snap fastener means lr6-17 the strap may be bent or deliected in the manner shown in FIG. 2 so as to expose and permit access to the lock l5 which normally underlies the strap.

This, of course, is true of both straps and the underlying locks. Consequently, the elongated straps 13 which formY the sole anchorage for the ends of the handle 10, normally atly overlie the luggage case locks 15 and conceal and protect the same (when the ends of the straps 13 are secured), but by a simple manipulation the outer ends of the straps may be released and deected so as to expose and permit ready access to the locks 15.

From the foregoing description it will appear that the improved lock protecting .handle structure for hand luggage cases provides very simple and eiective means for anchoring a luggage case handle, with a minimum of'securing means, and for providing overlapping straps which serve the dual purposel of alording connections for the opposite ends of lthe handle and for covering and concealing ush mounted locking devices on an outer wall portion of the luggage case. The `extended straps which thus anchor the handle and overliethe luggage case locks impart to the luggage case a very novel and distinctive appearance and conceal the locks which are covered and protected thereby. The lower ends of the Vhandle securing straps are, however, detachable from the end walls of the case and are easily detlectable to provide ready access to the locks, but conceal the same from the uninitiated of from a tamperer,v The lock protecting handle structure is simple, inexpensive and unique, is susceptible of easy manipulation, and is well adapted for the purposes described. n

What is claimed as the invention is: y

l. In a transportable case wherein a pair of companion, separable sections cooperate to -form a six-sided body when said sections are mutually engaged, an assemblage applied to an outer wall portion of the case and 'including a grip portion, a lock mounted in the same vwall of the case between said grip portion and an end of said wall, said assemblage including an elongated strap extending toward said end of said wall ,of the case and completely covering the lock,f.and means for releasably connecting an outer end portion of the strap to another wall Yportion of the case which is right angularly related to the iirstmentioned wall of the case, the intermediate portion of the strap over the lock ybeing free and being detlectable to expose the lock when the connecting means for the outer end portion of the strap -is released.

2. In a'transportable case wherein a pair of companion, separable sections cooperate to form a six-sided body when said sections are mutually engaged, a handle assemblage applied to an outer wall portion of the case, said handle assemblage including a grip portion and an elongated anchoring strap extending rectilinearly of said Vwall of the case, a lock mounted in the case Vwall of the case remote from the grip 'portion of the handle assemblage and being normally completely covered Aby one portion of said strap, and means for releasably connecting n another portion of the strap to another wall portion of the case which is right yangularly related to the Erst-mentioned Wall portion of the case, the Vportion of the strap over the lock being free and deflectable to expose the lock when the connecting means for said portion of the strap is released. Y

3. In a transportable case wherein a pair of companion, separable sections cooperate toform a six-sided body when said sections are mutually engaged, a handle assemblage applied to an outer wall .portion vof the case,-said handle assemblage including, a' hand grip anda pair of elongated anchoring straps connected to opposite ends of' the hand grip and extending rectilinearly of said wall of the case in opposite directions, means locally anchoring said straps to said wall of the case, a lock mounted in the same Wall of the case spaced from the hand grip of the handle assemblage and Ybeing ,normally completely covered by a portion of one of said straps, and means for releasably connecting another .portion of said strap to another Wall portion of the-case which is right angularly applied to an intermediate outerfface portion of a wall of the case, said handle assemblage including a hand grip and a pair of elongated, flexible anchoring straps connected to opposite end portions of the hand grip and extending rectilinearly of said wall ofthe case `in opposite directions, locks mounted in the same wall of the case outwardly of the hand grip and each being normally completely covered by an intermediate portion of .one of said straps, and means for releasably connectingan `end portion of each strap to other wall .portion of the .case remote from the hand grip, which other wall portions of .the case are right angularly related to the first-mentioned wall of the case. Y

5. In a hand luggage case including a pair of complementary box-like sections, one of which normally Vcloses the other, each section including connected-together walls, a handle overlying an intermediate portion of .one of the section walls, oppositely directed, elongated straps connected at their inner ends to said section Wall, means associated with the inner ends of the straps lfor anchoring the same and the handle to said section wall, a lock mounted in the same section wall and underlying an intermediate portion of one of the straps, and means for releasably securing the otherend of said strap to another` wall portion ofthe case which is right angularly related to the firstmentioned wall portion ofthe case.

6. In a transportable case wherein a pair of companion, separable sections cooperate to form a six-sided body whenV said sections are mutually engaged, a handle assemblage applied to the top wall of the case .intermediate its ends, locks mounted in ysaid top wall Vof the case spaced outwardly of said handle assemblage, the vlatter .including arpair of elongated flexible straps extending in opposite directions to and over the ends of/,said top Wall and downwardly over an adjacent right angularly related end wall portion of the case and each completely covering a lock, and means for releasably connecting an outer end portion of each strap to said end wall portion of the case overlapped thereby, the inter/mediate portions of the straps over the locks being deectable to expose the locks when the connecting means for the endportion's of the straps are released. Y

7. In a hand luggage case including a pairof complementary box-like sections, one of which normally closes the other, each section including connected-together walls References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/40 DAndrea i90-55 X 882,601 3/08 White V 19o- '58 1,945,299 1/34 SipGCZ 190-58 FOREIGN PATENTS 488,939 7/ 38 Great Britain.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, PrmaryrExamner. 

1. IN A TRANSPORTABLE CASE WHEREIN A PAIR OF COMPANION, SEPARABLE SECTIONS COOPERATE TO FORM A SIX-SIDED BODY WHEN SAID SECTIONS ARE MUTUALLY ENGAGED, AN ASSEMBLAGE APPLIED TO AN OUTER WALL PORTION OF THE CASE AND INCLUDING A GRIP PORTION, A LOCK MOUNTED IN THE SAME WALL OF THE CASE BETWEEN SAID GRIP PORTION AND AN END OF SAID WALL, SAID ASSEMBLAGE INCLUDING AN ELONGATED STRAP EXTENDING TOWARD SAID END OF SAID WALL OF THE CASE AND COMPLETELY COVERING THE LOCK, AND MEANS FOR RELEASABLY CONNECTING AN OUTER END PORTION OF THE STRAP TO ANOTHER WALL PORTION OF THE CASE WHICH IS RIGHT ANGULARLY RELATED TO THE FIRSTMENTIONED WALL OF THE CASE, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE STRAP OVER THE LOCK BEING FREE AND BEING DEFLECTABLE TO EXPOSE THE LOCK WHEN THE CONNECTING MEANS FOR THE OUTER END PORTION OF THE STRAP IS RELEASED. 